Illuminating device for talking machines



Aug. 26 .1924.

.y w. s. HARP ILLUKINATING DEVICE' FOR TALKING MACHINES` Filed June 15. '192s Z 'a MMX T Patented auge Z5, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

TllILL'IJrlVl S. HAR?, OF BALTUIORE, MARYLl-tND.

ILLUMJNATING DEVICE FOSS TLKING vTAC-IINES.

Application led .Tune 15,

To all fio/0m t 'may conce/Mi.:

Be it known that l, Trimmer S. HARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of lliaryland, have invented certain new and useful. improvements in Illuminating Devices for rllalking arhines, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates to talking machines, and one of its objects is to provide the saine with means for illuminating the record to facilitate the proper positioning of the needle or st ylus thereon. The invention is applicable more particularly to machines of the cabinet type having hinged top or lid which must be swung open in order that access may be had to the record, reproducer, etc., and this movement of the lid is utilized for operating a switch which controls an electric lamp employed as the illuminating means.

The invention also has for its object to provide an illuminating means and an automatic control therefor which can be readily applied to existing types of cabinet machines without altering the construction of any parts thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the pre-- ferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a. portion of a talking machine with the present invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 5 designates a portion of the cabinet of a talking machine into which the usual amplifier is built, a portion of the latter being shown at 6. Near the top of the cabinet is a platform 7 which supports the turn-table and associated parts, which have not been shown because they constitute no part of the present invention. The lid 192e. serial No. 645,512.

of the cabinet is shown at 8 and is hinged at 9, as usual.

For the purpose of holding the lid open there is provided a prop bar 10 attached at one end to the lid and slidably supported at its other end between a plate 11 and an arm 12. These are carried by and depend from the platform 'T in which is formed a slot 13 through which the bar passes. To the arm 12 is connected, by a pair of links ifi, an oval plate 15 which is held spaced from the arm by links 14. The upper end of the plate 15 has a notch in which a seat 16 is adapted to be seated, this pin being carried by the lower end of the bar 10. recess when the lid 8 is open, as shown in Figure 1 and upon closing the lid the pin, following the downward movement of the prop bar 10, travels downwardly in the space between the opposite edges of the arm 12 and the plate 15. `When the lid is fully closed, the pin is at the bottom of the plate 15, ready to slide upwardly on the opposite side when the lid is raised. These means for controlling the movement of the prop bar 10 form no part of the present invention, and hence a further description thereof is not necessary.

The hereinbefore described upward and downward movements of the prop bar 10 are utilized for operating the switch controlling an electric lamp 17 mounted on top of the platform 7 near one end thereof so as to be out of the way of the turn-table and other parts carried by the platform. A current source is shown diagrammatically at 1S in Figure 2. From one side of the current source a conductor 19 leads to the lamp 17 and the other side of the current source is connected by a conductor 2O to a resilient strip 21 secured to one side of the amplier 6. This strip projects such a distance and in such a direction that its outer end is positioned to be engaged by the lower end of the prop bar 10 at the lower limit of its movement. The outer end of strip 21 where it is engaged by the prop bar is faced with a piece of insulating ma terial 23, and the extremity of the strip bears upwardly against the bottom edge of the plate 11. The conductor 19 is connected to one side of the lamp and from the other side thereof extends a conductor 2li connected to the plate 11.

Vhen the lid 8 is open, as in Figure 1,

Pin 1G seats in this the lower end of the prop baril() is free of the strip 2l and the latter bears against the plate 11, thereby closing the circuit to the lamp 17. When the lid is closed the prop bar slides downwardly. `When it reaches the limit of its downward movement it bears against the insulation 23 and presses the strip 2l away from the bottom edge of plate l1, thereby breaking the circuit. It will thus be evident that the lamp circuit will be closed when the lid is raised and broken when the lid is closed.

This device is Very simple and can be applied readily without altering the construction of the cabinet or any parts of the machine.

As the strip 2l is resilient it acts as a cushion or shock absorber for the bar l() and lid 8 when the lid is closed, in addition to its functions as a shiftable contact.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

l. The combination with a talking machine cabinet and a lid therefor, of an electric lamp, a guiding means, a resilient strip normally engaging the guiding means, an electrical connection between one terminal of the lamp and the guiding means, an electrical connection between the other terminal of the lamp and the strip, one of said connections including a source of electrical current, and a prop bar movable with the lid and relative to the guide to shift the strip out of' contact with and permit its return into contact with the guide.

2. The combination with a talking machine cabinet and a lid therefor, of an electric lamp, a stationary guiding means of conducting material, a cushioningstrip of conducting material normally engaging the guiding means, a connection between the guiding means and one terminal of the lamp, an electrical connection between the other terminal of the lamp and the cushioning strip, one of said connections including a source of electrical energy, and a prop bar connected to the lid and adapted to be supported by the guiding means, said bar being movable against the strip to cushion the lid and break the contact between the strip and guiding means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM S. I-IARP. 

